Grace Quan: We don’t know what skills Canada will need in the future — and that’s the point
As a 2016 survey by the Business Council of Canada revealed, among the 90 major Canadian companies surveyed, the top three most important competencies for mid-level hires were non-technical: leadership, people/relationship, and collaboration/teamwork. One of the biggest challenges for companies right now is finding the right combination of attributes in an employee, and that problem will only become greater in the future.
...we know that one thing we’ll need is a high degree of adaptability: the ability to navigate new territory and grow accordingly. To support this type of workforce, we need to focus as much on how emerging workers develop as what they’re taught. We need development strategies that are broad and flexible enough to meet the needs of an unknown future.
For example, co-ops, internships, or field experience — broadly known as work-integrated learning — are increasingly important to the digital economy and to any company looking to innovate.
See the full story here: https://vancouversun.com/opinion/op-ed/grace-quan-we-dont-know-what-skills-canada-will-need-in-the-future-and-thats-the-point